22-year-old killed amid Internet girlfriend lies

[Morg]

LINK

22-year-old killed amid Internet lies

By CAROLYN THOMPSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- He was an 18-year-old Marine headed to war.

She was an attractive young woman sending him off with pictures and lingerie.

Or so each one thought.

In reality, they were two middle-aged people carrying on an Internet fantasy based on seemingly harmless lies.

When a truthful 22-year-old was drawn in, authorities say, their cyber escape turned deadly.

"When you're on the Internet talking, you haven't got a clue who that is on the other end," Erie County Sheriff's Lt. Ron Kenyon said. "You don't have a clue."

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When Brian Barrett was shot to death Sept. 15 outside the factory where he worked to help pay for college, investigators and his family were stumped.

Barrett, 22, was an aspiring industrial arts teacher, an accomplished high school athlete who had coached Little League all summer and helped his father coach soccer. Those who knew the Buffalo State College student described him as quiet and unassuming.

He had clearly been targeted. Barrett was shot three times at close range in the neck and left arm after climbing into his truck about 10 p.m. at the end of a shift at Dynabrade Corp. in Clarence, 20 miles outside of Buffalo. His body was found two days later when a co-worker spotted his pickup in an isolated part of the company parking lot.

"He was just a nice kid, a gentleman," said Starpoint High School Athletic Director Tom Sarkovics, who was Barrett's baseball coach for two years. "I don't think anybody could say a bad thing about him."

On Nov. 27, Barrett's 47-year-old co-worker and friend, Thomas Montgomery, was charged with Barrett's murder. The motive, investigators said, was jealousy over Barrett's budding Internet relationship with the same 18-year-old woman Montgomery had been wooing since the previous year.

What neither man knew was that the woman was really a 40-something West Virginia mother using her daughter's identity to attract Internet suitors. Cyberspace, it appeared, was enough for her, and it was a near certainty she would never have met either man.

"The game would have been over at that point and time for sure," Kenyon said.

When Montgomery began chatting with the woman in 2005, the former Marine portrayed himself as perhaps a previous version of himself - a young Marine preparing for deployment to Iraq, Assistant District Attorney Ken Case said.

For a time, they communicated strictly through chat rooms and e-mail.

Then the woman began sending gifts to Montgomery's home, Case said. Pictures of the woman's daughter, lingerie and a set of custom-made dog tags arrived at the pale yellow suburban house that Montgomery shared with his wife and two teenage children.

Montgomery's wife intercepted one of the packages, Case said. She wrote back to the woman at the return address, and included a family portrait to make her point.

"As you can see, Tom's not 18," Case said she wrote. "He's married and he's a father of two. He's 47 and I'm his wife." And, believing she was writing to an 18-year-old: "You've obviously been fooled."

The West Virginia woman - whom authorities will not identify - remembered a friend named Brian that Montgomery had mentioned. She recalled enough of his computer screen name to contact Barrett to ask him about what Montgomery's wife had told her.

Soon Barrett was in regular contact with the woman. Despite knowing the truth about Montgomery, the woman remained in contact with him as well, Case said.

The woman made no secret of the fact she was chatting with Barrett, Case said, and Barrett talked about the relationship at work. Montgomery, authorities say, became jealous.

Sheriff's investigators believe Barrett's killer wore camouflage and a ski mask when he approached Barrett in the parking lot with a .30-caliber rifle and fired at close range.

Montgomery is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to second-degree murder. Tall and with thinning hair, glasses and a mustache, he said nothing at a procedural court appearance on Jan. 10. He is due back in court in June.

His wife, whom authorities have not named, has begun divorce proceedings, Case said. She did not respond to a message left at Montgomery's home in suburban Cheektowaga or answer a reporter's knock there.

Internet crime expert J.A. Hitchcock, author of "Net Crimes & Misdemeanors," said the case illustrates the dangers that lurk on the web.

"I'm hoping that this case will make people think twice about what they do online and what their actions can cause in the long run," she said.

Idiots

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Moron. Getting jealous enough of an internet "girlfriend" to kill someone? This guy deserves the new relationships he'll be having in prisons.

 

[Wolfwood]

Jeez, the mother used photos of her daughter, that's pretty icky.

 

[Fran]

That's just sickening.

 

[Buttman]

Montgomery's wife intercepted one of the packages, Case said. She wrote back to the woman at the return address, and included a family portrait to make her point.

"As you can see, Tom's not 18," Case said she wrote. "He's married and he's a father of two. He's 47 and I'm his wife." And, believing she was writing to an 18-year-old: "You've obviously been fooled."

That had to be unconfortable when he got home.t:

 

[Ebil Gig]

So does that mean the woman asked her daughter to take photos of herselr in lingerie so she can send them to that guy? *shrugs*

 

[Kaleb]

I feel I cant continue this relationship with you guys anymore

 

[Immortalfire]

Ugh

 

[kane9321]

holy crap.Using pictures of her daughter..wow just f'n wow

 

[Abaddon]

This should be a movie.

 

[Lurk]

****ed up on so many levels

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

This should be a movie.

with Valerie Bertinelli!

 

[AndThePickles]

That's really creepy.

 

[Abaddon]

and Mimi Rogers.

 

[BRUTAL]

And Tony Danza

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

No, all girl cast

 

[jaguarr]

The movie should be called "Killed By An Internet Cougar".

jag

 

[Honey Vibe]

This is insane. The woman was using her daughter's ID, two co-workers were talking with her, ...and one kills the other over the fake woman?

...I'm beginning to think that can't be true. It's just too outrageous. Perhaps Montgomery murdered the young man for other reasons besides this.

 

[Kaboom]

soleil moon frye

 

[Darthphere]

Hawt!

 

[Strange]

They could bring back the entire cast of 90210 and make this into a great movie.

 

[terry78]

Just like the chinese kid that hung himself when he met his internet date. Like I said, unless I hear your ass on the phone, see you live via a webcam feed, etc., you're either a dude or not who you say you are. I'm sure the hype is chock full of incognito members as it is.

 

[Abaddon]

The movie should be called "Killed By An Internet Cougar".

jag

nah, it needs a Lifetime movie-esque title.


"Web of Lies"
"I Wear My Daughter's Face"
"Love On the Line"
"The Lies I Told on the Internet"


some **** like that.

 

[Strange]

nah, it needs a Lifetime movie-esque title.


"Web of Lies"
"I Wear My Daughter's Face"
"Love On the Line"
"The Lies I Told on the Internet"


some **** like that.

Reality Bytes

 

[Mr Sparkle]

Man, it's too bad that there's already a movie called "Cyber Seduction. His Secret Life" because it would've been perfect.